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Government and politics Last elections: March 2009 Next elections: 2014 Head of State: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by Governor-General, Dame Louise Lake-Tack (2007–) Head of Government: Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer Ruling party: United Progressive Party The Antigua Labour Party (ALP) led by Lester Bird won its sixth consecutive general election in March 1999 (in the presence of a Commonwealth observer group), gaining 12 of the 17 seats with 53 per cent of the votes cast. The United Progressive Party (UPP) took four seats, with 44 per cent of the votes, and the Barbuda People’s Movement (BPM) one seat. Vere Bird Sr, who led the country to independence in 1981, and was Prime Minister until he retired from active politics before the 1994 general election, died in June 1999 at the age of 89. At the request of the Prime Minister, a two-person Commonwealth expert group visited the country in July 2000 to consult the people and review the ‘operations of the arrangements’ between Antigua and Barbuda as established at a constitutional conference at Lancaster House, London, in 1980. In November 2000, at St John’s, Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon presented the group’s report and recommendations to the government, saying that implementation of these recommendations would bring an end to long-standing discord between the islands of Antigua and Barbuda. In April 2003 the Electoral Office of Jamaica was engaged to compile a new voters’ list and collect photos and fingerprints to be used on identity cards, in preparation for the next general election. This work and the election itself in March 2004 were observed by a Commonwealth expert team. The UPP won the contest with 55 per cent of the votes and 12 seats, and Baldwin Spencer became Prime Minister, ending a 28-year run of power for the ALP and the Bird family. In March 2009, the UPP, led by Spencer, was returned to power with a reduced majority, winning nine of the 17 seats and 51 per cent of the votes. The ALP took seven seats (47 per cent), and the BPM one (1 per cent). During the election campaign, the UPP had promised to sell off shares of state-owned corporations to the public, while the main opposition ALP had said that it would introduce tax cuts. Turnout was 80 per cent. A n t i g u a a n d B a r b u d a Local government The Barbuda Council was established under the constitution and is responsible for local government on Barbuda. It consists of nine directly elected members, together with the members of the national parliament representing constituencies on Barbuda and a government-appointed member; it has the power to raise taxes; is responsible for agriculture, forestry, public health, public utilities and roads in Barbuda; and is accountable to the Prime Minister. There is no constitutional provision for local government on Antigua, which comprises six parishes: St George, St John, St Mary, St Paul, St Peter and St Philip. National development plan The National Economic and Social Transformation Plan was formulated with the objective of restoring and maintaining economic stability and mitigating the impact from exogenous shocks. In January 2012 the country embarked on a national consultation prior to the preparation of a new Medium-Term Development and Strategic Plan, which was intended to embody a comprehensive and integrated approach to economic and social planning. Further information Government of Antigua and Barbuda: www.ab.gov.ag Commonwealth Secretariat: www.thecommonwealth.org Commonwealth Governance: www.commonwealthgovernance.org Governance institutions Commonwealth Governance Handbook 2013/14 129 Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court: www.eccourts.org Eastern Caribbean Central Bank: www.eccbcentralbank. org Eastern Caribbean Securities Exchange: www.ecseonline.com


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